Edward Echwalu – A Photographer’s Motivation

PhotoWings had the opportunity to talk with photojournalist and teacher Edward Echwalu at the 2016 Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Cape Town, South Africa. Edward gave us insights into the motivations for his photographic work, his hopes and his fears, his drive to use photojournalism to educate his community in Uganda as well as inform the wider world. He discusses the importance of empathetic storytelling, trying to “integrate… a sense of love… into the work.”

Edward Echwalu is a freelance photojournalist based in Kampala, Uganda, with an extended reach across East Africa. A graduate of journalism and communication at Makerere University, his work over the years has been published in distinguished media outlets globally. While he focuses on social developmental issues, he continues to cover a wide range of breaking news stories. Edward is also part of an exciting crop of photographers based in Africa contributing towards changing the negative image of Africa in the West through the @everydayafrica project. He is a 1st and 2nd runner up in the CNN Africa Journalism Awards (2012, 2013).